Coupler attachment



Aug. 2l, 1928.

' 1,681,781 J. A. PILCHER COUPLER ATTACHMENT Filed April 18, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 www J. A. PIL-CHER couPLER ATTACHMENT Filed April 18. 1921 Aug. 2l, 1928.

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ill1 NTT

Patented ug. 21, 1928.

UMTED STATES JOHN A. PILCIIER, or noANoIrE, VIRGINIA.

coUrLnn ATTACHMENT.

Application filed April 18, 1921. Serial No. 462,082.

Miy invention Vrelates to coupler attaehments, and comprises slotted linksin which the coupler is secured to the slotted links by lugston the coupler butt, which may be in- 15 sorted. intothe slotsin the links in such man ner that. relative angular movement ofcoupler :uid links Will cause the ends of the links and lugs-on the coupler tointerloek and thereby provide e. secure `und anti-spreading con- 20 neetion... Il also. provide substantiel pulling; bearings between links and coupler, which nllows freedom ofi movement between the `parte for ylateralangling;l

l My invention also` consists in the cooperal5 tion and arrangement of parts which I shell hereinafter describe sind claim.

Referring to the drewi.ngsFig11nes- 1, 2 and 3,.the,eouplenattachment is comprised of anupper link Zend' :1 lower link .3, eefchv of :io Vwhiehis preferablynrade of forged steel` and line a. vertically disposed slot 4 extendingF therethrough otsubstontinlly the seinewidth from` end teend of. thelink. The coupler lbutt 5 on its top and bottoni surfaces is pronovidesubstential pullinm beerines l between l 7': f7

coupler und the links 2,and3- and Vbetween the links Q'nnd 3 und foliowerQ, und et the seine time allow the coupler freedom for lateral movement. Ther-eer facefof the couplerbutt 5 andthe forwerdfoce ofthebloel ..14Iprefe1zebly have-corresponding ershaped u faces' to. permitthe-stressesof` buflingfto be` transmitted directly fromthe coupler toitlie l 5f* draft gezir, regardless of the particularV position to which the coupler may angle laterally vided with .circulan extensions `6.ezirh, of.

-block 141-1may `loe With vrespect to the links.v The tangential ysurface leadingT away from the z1re7sheped forward face on the follower also serves to guide the coupler butt bnckinto .position after it has been pulled away from. the follower'duringdreft; i

.leflifril- Nr OFFICE.;

VThe coupler and links nre/connected he-` i fore either is placed inthe ACanby placing the couplery and .the back follower 9. or the dreftigzeer casingfof which circular extensions 10 mayv he.a.,partsideby side, withthe f lugs' and 11 lined up,y so the links 2 and 3 een b ejpassed overthem nt the saine time. The parts are then turned until the axis of .thelinkscoinoides `with vthat of the coupler,

and the aXis of tliehack follower or draft geur alsocoineides with the uxis of the coupler, `thus lockingY thelinks kto `the coupler butt with the lugs 7 upon the` trunnions `(i. and at the saine time lockingtheflinksto the back follower 9, 0r to the draftgear casing that may tekeits place, kabout the `trunnionsf10-b`y the lugs 1l vupon.the'trunnions; y The hliock 4 is :then put infplnce, and as its rear fece is struck on an are off-centered fr fromvthetrunnion10,.which may be on either the follower'9 or directly on the draft gear casing, the draft gear with its 'front curved surface or follower14a` may beswun'g later ally ony trunnion 10, at which time lthe enteringedge Will becl'ezvr of follower 14;*,but theV e sur-faces willy become snug `and tight when the drfiftgear axis vcoincides.with the axisof v.the links. Toassistin theinsertion of the draftgeex: into the pocket between the block J 14 `and the rear follower 9.1the block 14 may f be rotated"aboutV the are-shaped rear .end of theoouplerbutt-.so as to permit the edfreof the follower 1,4a of thejrrear to enter upon `the regu' feoeofthe bleek 14N. Then after vit has so venteredy `the gearnthe follower 14a and place. i

position, the couplerg' frontend reerfollow` readilyy forced; snugly into ersandlfthe links withtthe ,draft `gear therein t the cerl frame, which forms e hearingfor the are then. elevated intoposition on the ear.

lower lugs and .11, supports the coupler f butt aIIClf links thereby, andfalso `lioldsthe upper lugs and 11 near thejtoppl'ate. The -re'erf fecesy of the lforward draft sill stopsl. are tapered slightly,esz1re the cor# responding faces ofthe block 14, asis shown Y axis of the yoke.

Cil

in dotted lines in Fig. 1, to allow the edges of the follower 14 to enter the space Aclear'of the edges of the stops and thereby permit the easy application of the mechanism to the car after the draft gear has been placed within it. In the form shown in Figs. 1,2 and 3, the pulling stresses are transmitted directly along the axis of the links to the trunnions 10 on the rear follower, and the links'pare relieved from the usual lateral bending stresses towhich a U-shaped yoke is ordinarily subjected. when the pull is out of line withth'e In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a coupler attachment preferably made from a single piece of forged steel in the form ofan elongated link withl the ends 22-and 23'bent in parallel planes to form the upper and lower arms and joined at their rear ends bythe vertically eX- tendingl portions 25 ofthe web. Y

In this embodimento'f my invention the .slot2-l, between the webs extends`from the bearing 2G in the upper arm 22 clear around over the rear follower 27 to the bearing 26 at the -forward end of the lower arm 23. vrThe coupler is secured to the attachment before application to the car by swinging ,it at right angles to the attachment and turning it on its side. The coupler butt, when turned on its side,`may be slipped between the arms22 and 23, and then byusingvthc rounded portion rof the coupler butt' adjoininglthe trunnion under the lugs 28, be brought back to its normal position, when lugs 28 will pass through the vslots 24C in L,the upper and lower arms and the 'couplermay theny be turned into longitudinal alignment with the attachment. rlhe lugs will then engage the arms in the manner 'described in connection with` Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The rear follower 27A employed in lthis einbodiineiitinay be'of the usual type,

and the attachment may be supported'near its rear end by a bearing plate 29. *In order toeasily insert the close-fitting draft gearbetween the back follower zand front'ffollower,

`tho front foil ower isrk turned to onefside from its normal position, thus opening one side into `which when the draft gear is pushed, the

,front follower can be pushed back into"`normal place with it, making a snug fit.

v4In'Fig. 6 Iliave sliown a modification of my invention applied to al coupler butt havingfa rear portion 31 of the usual standard Vstraight-faced type. i Between the block 32 and the rear face of the coupler I'liave placedy an inserted member taking aboutv the rear fare andtherear portion of the .sides 'of the coupler butt'. The rear face'ofthe VVmember 33 is arc-shaped to correspond to the forward face of the block 32, so 4as to permit angling of the coupler with reference" to the attachment. A coupler butt so constructed maybe attached to a key yoke through the slot 34 or` 'to an attachment such as I havedescribed herein by the trunnio'ns 35.

In Figs. 7 and S I have shown a further inodificationof my invention in which a cast attachment is employed, in which the arms l2 and e3 are slotted at 4e to permit the insertion of the lugs on the coupler butt. The

ycase i6 in position in the attachment."y The vertically yextending portion of the attachment 1T is preferably made with a cylindrical forward face -lS bearing against a correspondingcylindrical surface, in either the rear follower or the' rear end of the draft gear yasing, in such manner as to allow ther ylateral movement of the forward end yof the attachment without lateral bendingstresses. The' draft gearrmay be inserted by rotating the front follower about the coupler butt to allow the rear of the draft'gear to be placed against then forcing the follower and draft gear into ynormal position.` placing the draft gear under slight compression. f

The terms and expressions' vwhich I have employed are used as terms of description and 'features shown and'described, or rportions thereof, but recognize that various structural modificationsare possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What I'claim isz' l 1. A couplerattachment comprising slotted upper and lower links, alcoupler having lugs on the top and bottom vsurfaces'of the butt of greater lateral extent than the width of the slotsinthe links, said lugs being insertable and removable through said slots when arranged at rightangles to theirnormal position, corresponding arc-shaped pullfingsurfaces on coupler and links permitting,

when the links and coupler have been locked together, lateral angling ofthe coupler relative to the links.

- 2. A coupler attachment comprising slot- 'ted Aupperand lower links, arc-shaped bearythe vertical portion of the attachment and ings at thefforward ends of the slots in said n links, a coupler, arc-shaped bearings on the top andbottom of the coupler butt engagingl the'arc-shaped bearings in the links and permittinglateral angling ofthe coupler rielative tothe links, lugs on the coupler butt extending through said slots inthe links, one

of said lugs overlyinr a portion of the upper link and another of saidlugs underlying a portion of the lower link when the coupler and links are in operative' position, the cou- `pler being rremovable from between said linksk only when substantially at right' angles thereto.

'the cushioning` mechanism.

la. A coupler attachmentV comprising slotted :upper and lower links, arc-shaped," n i Q vper and lower links ywith vertically extending. rslots therethrough, a Acoupler and acushionbearings at the ends of saidlinks, a coupler having arc-shaped bearings on the top and bottom ofthe buttthereof engaging the arc- Vshaped bearings inthe forward ends of the vthe slot and underlying the lower link, the coupler and cushioning' mechanism being rehv movable from between said links only when substantially at right angles thereto.v

f l5. A coupler attachment comprising up per andr lower links with yvertically extending slots therethrough, a couplerhaving proH` jections on the top andbottom of the butt bearing against the forward ends of said slots and having` a rotative engagement there with for lateral angling, a cushioning mechanism having` Aprojections on the top and .bottom thereof bearing against the backward ends ofsaid slots and'haviiiga rotative engagement therewith for lateral angling, lugs Von the projections of both the coupler and the cushioningl mechanism having theirr long axis at right angles to the axis ofthe coupler and cushioning mechanismengaging. respectivelvgthe upper-face of the upper link and the lower lface of thelower link,r the coupler andthe cushioning mechanism' Y'being disen- ,e'ageable from saidi'links by rotation or" coupler andfcushioning mechanism relative to said-linkato bring the lugs into position to permit their passage' through said slots.

y 1G; Ina device of the; character described.

a coupler attachment comprising a pair of links a coupler and a cushioningmechanism, trunnions on the coupler butt and cushioning .niechaism engaging said links 'and permittingrespectively` lrotary movement, between fthe coupleriand links and between the links .a coupler attachment comprising slotted uppeipand lower links. a coupler and a cushioning mechanism each having trunnions on the ftop'and bottom 'surfaces thereofengagf,

ing saidupper and lower links., plates above the upper and below the lower'link. the plate below engaging rhevbottom trunnioiis sup- `rporting` theI coupler and cushioning` inecha nis/m and holding the top trunnions near the -to normally engage co` `upper. platev thereby Vlimiting the Vvertical ymovement of the mechanism.

coupler and cushioning 18. YA couplerattachment comprising uping mechanism, projections on the vtop and bottom vof the coupler bearing yagainst the forward ends of said slots,-p'ro]ections on the top landbottom of the cushioning` mechanism l bearino aofain'st the backward ends yof said h n l y i 1 slots and having a rotative engagement there- 'with to permitthe lateral anglingv of the yoke on the cushioning mechanism.

"19. In an attachment for acoupleraiid a cushioning .finechanisn'n the e. ycoupler and cushioning mechanism being rotativelyv conneetedjto the attachment, a follower back of the coupler with an arc-shaped recess for yre-k ceivin'g, the coupler buttand tangential sui faces extending from the arc-shapedrecess rto guide thecoupler butt to normal position after the compression Yof the cushioning 'inechf 4anism from pulling strains abates.

120; A coupler attachment comprising slotted upper and lower members, ya coupler having a pullinggeonnectioninslots in the forwith and providing rotary andloiigitudinal movement between said ycoupler andsaid con- ,nectingmemben j ,A 1x21. In a draft rigging, theilcombination withfthe draftsills having spaced stop ineinbers connected thereto, of a coupler,`a cushioningmechanism therefor` and ymeans* for operatively connecting saidj coupler and i 22. vIn a draft rigging, ythe combination with a coupler,r ofV a cushioning mechanism Y vtherefon-and means for .connecting the saine,

saidmeans including a pair of horizontally disposed,` closed loopA members, each of said members having adjacent-:one eiida-.euiwed bearing siirface; said surfaces being adapted y Uespoiidingly shaped projections integral with the said coupler.

coupler ,attachment .comprising upper n and a s loty and Y projection enga gement y with v,the

f 23'." In a device of the character described, a Y

120 `forward en ds ofthe links and also having an arc-shaped rear face, a cushioning mechanism having a slot and projection engagement with thebackward ends ofthe links, a follower having an varcsh aped forwardA face cooperating with the rearface of the coupler butt, the follower being capable of rotation about said coupler,l butt topermitfthe veasyinsertion of the cushioningmeehanism between said links.

JOHN itiiteiinii.v y 

